Sangdang and Heungdeok ward offices, which received a state document that ordered them to remove banners related to the Sewol ferry, demolished about 150 banners in mid-September after Chuseok.
  These banners were mostly made and installed by citizens’ voluntary donations. Chungbuk Inhabitants Task Force visited Sangdang and Heungdeok ward offices and installed banners again after collecting the removed banners, but the ward offices said that they will eliminate them again.
  About this elimination, Min Beong-jun, who works in the Department of Public Design in Cheongju City, said, “According to the Outdoor Advertisements Managing Law, installing banners without permission is illegal in other places. For example, when people apply for their assembly and then demonstrate, banners near the place are legal. However, if there is no assembly and banners are installed, then it’s illegal. It’s not a violation of assembly law but a violation of advertising law.”
  A lawyer, Oh Won-geun, from the lawyers for a Democratic Society, said, “According to article 8 in Outdoor Advertisements, etc. Control Act, having an assembly in that place is a legal political activity if people apply for an assembly. Also, hanging banners in the place is a part of the assembly. It is a freedom to open an assembly whether people applied for it or not. It is not fair to punish about hanging banners when there is no assembly.”
  After putting up banners, Cheongju didn’t remove the banners that promoted assemblies. However, banners that urged the national assembly to present the Sewol Bill and contain citizens’ voices were removed. About this situation, Lee Son-young, who works in Citizens’ Solidarity for Participation and Self-governance of Chungbuk, said that Cheongju interpreted the law unreasonably. They judged arbitrarily the banners were not related to an assembly. Also, she doubted that Cheongju mayor committed an unreasonable elimination because he belongs to Saenuri Party, which disagrees with the Sewol Bill. At last, she mentioned that the mayor needed to have open thinking.
  On the other hand, in the case of other cities, 6 ward offices of Daejeon left banners up for a month. Chungbuk Inhabitant Task Force held a press conference in Cheongju City Hall on September 24. Comparing Cheongju to other cities, they criticized Cheongju for removing Sewol banners arbitrarily. They said, “The elimination is ignoring people’s efforts and we think that this is up to the mayor’s will and discretion.” Finally, they stressed the mayor should not be suppressed by the standard of law and have respect for citizens and justice. The Cheongju government didn’t have any response.

By Ko So-young | sy35@cbnu.ac.kr